Professor Gino Van Ossel asks the authorities to reassure consumers, at the risk of seeing many sectors in financial difficulty.
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EBecause of the coronavirus crisis, traders are experiencing the largest spread on record. On the one hand, they must return to work as quickly as possible, on the other hand, not everyone is allowed to go to the shops at the same time. “Forget the busy shopping streets,” retail professor Gino Van Ossel (Vlerick) said on Thursday during a hearing in the Flemish Parliament’s committee on economics. According to the professor, the government should therefore provide a communication which clearly indicates to the consumer: “Go out, but with good sense”.
“Today’s consumers no longer like to shop, are scared of the virus and will be spending less due to financial uncertainty. This is a problem for physical sales. This sector was already under pressure before the coronavirus crisis. There has been a shrinking market, a shift to online shopping and an increase in vacancy rates, “said Van Ossel. “And the coronavirus is putting even more pressure on margins and revenue and increasing costs.”
According to the professor, consumers are nervous about going back to stores. “So you will have to reassure consumers. Not everyone is the same, some are very afraid of the virus, others laugh at it and organize containment parties. ” Van Ossel says the hospitality industry will struggle until there is a vaccine against the virus. “But I don’t agree at all with those who say that the hospitality industry has no future. It’s just about bridging the gap. “
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